2. Principles, Aims, and Objectives

Principles

The Parties recognize that:

1. HIV/AIDS is a global crisis and that South Africa is experiencing a devastating HIV/AIDS pandemic. The parties further acknowledge the seriousness of this pandemic and the significant impact it holds on the employees of the company, members of the Union and their families.
2. HIV/AIDS is a workplace issue and should be treated like any other serious illness/condition in the workplace. This is necessary not only because it affects the workforce, but also because the workplace, being part of the local community, has a role to play in the wider struggles to limit the spread and effects of the epidemic.
3. The successful implementation of an HIV/AIDS policy and the programme requires cooperation and trust between employers, workers and their representatives, with the active involvement of workers infected and affected by HIV/AIDS.
4. This policy is regarded as a living document that will be further enriched as more clarity emerges surrounding the disease, the management of the disease and medical, academic, occupational and employment developments regarding HIV/AIDS. The parties will accordingly monitor developments and adjust or amend this policy as appropriate.
5. HIV/AIDS affects the profitability of companies and the efficient functioning of organizations; employers should reduce its effect on their organizations.

The parties agree that their workplace HIV policy and programme will be based on the following principles:

1. A desire to promote equality and non-discrimination between individuals with HIV infection and those without, and between HIV/AIDS and other comparable health/medical conditions.
2. A desire to create a supportive environment so that HIV-infected employees are able to continue working under normal conditions in their current employment for as long as they are medically fit to do so.
3. Recognition that the protection of human rights and dignity of people living with HIV or AIDS is essential to the prevention and control of HIV/AIDS.
4. A recognition that HIV/AIDS impacts disproportionately on women and this should be taken into account in the development of workplace policies and programmes. Women are more likely to become infected and are more often adversely affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic than men for biological, socio-cultural and economic reasons. The greater the gender discrimination in societies and the lower the position of women, the more negatively they are affected by HIV. Therefore, more equal gender relations and the empowerment of women are vital to successfully prevent the spread of HIV infection and enable women to cope with HIV/AIDS.

Aims and Objectives

The company's HIV/AIDS policy and programme aim to:

1. Build consensus on how to deal with HIV and AIDS in the workplace.
2. Develop strategies to assess and reduce the impact of the epidemic on the workplace.
3. Reduce the number of new infections among employees and their families.
4. Strengthen education on and prevention of HIV.
5. Support those individuals who are infected or affected by HIV/AIDS so that they may continue to work productively for as long as possible.
6. Build solidarity amongst workers in dealing with HIV, preventing unfair discrimination, and creating a supportive environment.
7. Ensure that conditions of employment meet the needs of people with HIV without imposing undue burdens on the workforce.
8. Take into account the special needs of women arising out of the HIV/AIDS pandemic.
9. Provide guidelines for employers, employees and trade unions on how to manage HIV/AIDS within the workplace.
10. Provide clarity with regard to the extent and source of assistance available to those infected and/or affected by HIV/AIDS.